Bahrain: University College London Hospital UNISON supports campaign

Healthworkers at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, voted today to back our campaign in solidarity with their Bahraini colleagues. At UCLH UNISON’s annual general meeting, delegates voted overwhelming to back the resolution below and sent a picture message of solidarity to jailed nurses Ibrahim al-Demistani, Hassan Matooq, Haleema Al-Sabagh; pharmacist Ahmed Mushatat, and doctors Saeed Al Samahiji, Ali al-Ekri, and Ghassan Daif.

What you can do:

Pass this resolution through your union branch

This union condemns the imprisonment of Ibrahim al Demistani, Hassan Matooq, Ahmed Ali Almushatat, Haleema Al Sabagh, Dr Ali Al-Ekri, Dr Ghassan Dhaif and Dr Saeed Al Samahiji, and resolves to write to the Bahraini authorities calling for their immediate release, and for the release of all other political prisoners in Bahrain.

This union further condemns the British government’s continued willingness to sell arms to Bahraini authorities despite the ongoing repression there. Since 14 February 2011, the British government has approved at least £16m of export licenses for military equipment to the Bahrain, including small arms ammunition, body armour and training hand grenades. We call on the British government to stop the export of military equipment to Bahrain.

This union resolves to circulate details of the campaign for the arrested medics to our members and encourages them to take part.

This union further resolves to send this resolution to our region / annual conference calling on the union to mobilise a national campaign to highlight the repression against healthworkers, other trade unionists and activists in Bahrain since 2011.

Tower Hamlets branch of the British Medical Association holding signs with the names of their imprisoned Bahraini colleagues – February 2013

Show your solidarity with the imprisoned medics by sending a message. You can email menasolidarity@gmail.com or print out one of the signs below and take a photograph of yourself and your colleagues so that we can post on Facebook (www.facebook.com/menasolidarity ) and Twitter (@menasolidarity) to show people in Bahrain support from healthworkers internationally for their struggle.

Put up leaflets and posters about the campaign around your workplace. If possible, make links with colleagues in the same departments and wards where the arrested Bahraini medics worked. If you aren’t a healthworker yourself, why not take some leaflets and posters to your local hospital and ask to speak to union reps about the campaign? Download a leaflet version of this webpage here.